The FROGS Club marks 100 years

On July 24 at Heinz Field The FROGS (Friendly Rivalry Often Generates Success) Club held their centennial celebration. More than 300 members and guests attended the gala black tie event and enjoyed catching up with FROGS and friends.

The evening began with a reception with time for plenty of photo ops. Professional photographer Ahmad Sandidge was on hand to capture the moment for many couples and groups who wanted to have a special souvenir of the evening. After dinner and celebratory remarks from President Darryl Robinson, the FROGS queen and her court were presented.

This year’s queen, Renee Chantal Motley, graduated from Sewickley Academy in June and was presented with the Cavalier Cup Award, the highest honor given by the academy, recognizing combined excellence in scholarship, sportsmanship and citizenship. Renee will attend Harvard University in the fall with a concentration in Modern Middle Eastern Studies. Renee is the daughter of David and Darlene Motley and the granddaughter of Thomas and Lilly Motley. Tom Motley has served as chairman of the FROGS formal for the past 20 years.

The queen’s court included Jettie Brianne Fields, a graduate of Ellis School who heads to Carnegie Mellon University in the fall. Fields was escorted by Carrington Motley, a rising junior at Sewickley Academy. He was the starting guard for Sewickley Academy’s 2010 champion varsity basketball team. Maria Helena Gonzalez, also a graduate of Sewickley Academy, attending Skidmore University in the fall, completed the court. Gonzalez was escorted by Chris Motley Jr. Chris recently received his federal communications certificate and will graduate from Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics this fall. The queen and her court received beautiful bouquets of roses while Renee Motley was crowned with a jeweled tiara and took her celebratory walk around the dance floor. Then it was time to dance. The House of Soul Band got busy and brought the crowd to the floor.

On this grand night, the FROGS Club marked their birth as one of the nation’s oldest African-American organizations. Robinson said, “Caesar Lowndes, the first president of the FROGS, would undoubtedly be pleased to see that his first meeting has fostered a century of fun and fellowship. He might even find it interesting to know that baked beans are still served at each meeting and that Limburger cheese did not stand the test of time.”